Timeline for Backstrom’s return from hip surgery remains uncertain originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom intends to play at some point in the 2022-23 season after undergoing left hip surgery on June 17 but a timeline remains uncertain, according to Washington general manager Brian MacLellan.
Speaking to reporters from Montreal ahead of Thursday’s NHL Draft, MacLellan addressed that uncertainty surrounding a franchise staple. Backstrom, 34, underwent resurfacing surgery on his left hip, a procedure with a tricky, lengthy recovery process.
“It’s a hard surgery,” MacLellan said. “Until we see halfway into his recovery what mobility, strength he’s gotten back from it. It’s tough to project for anybody how he reacts and how he comes out of the surgery. We’re going to wait and see where he’s at, how he’s feeling, how he’s progressing.”
Related: How Capitals can address Backstrom’s absence at center
Backstrom underwent the procedure in Belgium. He previously had hip surgery in 2015 and chronic pain led to him missing the first 28 games of the 2021-22 season. Backstrom returned to play 47 games last season with six goals and 25 assists. But he told reporters at the end of the season that the hip will likely never be 100% again and MacLellan described Backstrom playing through that level of pain he endured this season as unsustainable.
The problem for the Capitals? Backstrom’s $9.2 million salary-cap hit is prohibitive — the second-highest on the team — and if he intends to return they can’t use his money to go after big-money free agents this summer. NHL free agency opens on July 13. Washington will also start the season without right-wing Tom Wilson, who had ACL surgery May 25 and is out six-to-eight months.
The Capitals will have to configure a lineup without two of their top-six forwards in a competitive Metropolitan Division where they finished fourth last season. By the tim e they have more clarity, of course, they will be well into next season. Backstrom and Wilson will start the year on long-term injured reserve so there will be cap flexibility then, but that limits what the front office can do for now.
Internal solutions, including 2019 first-round draft pick Connor McMichael, who played 68 games for Washington in his age 20-21 season, and 2020 first-round draft pick Hendrix Lapierre, who played six NHL games at age 19 last season before returning to his junior hockey team in Quebec, are internal options. So is Aliaksei Protas, a 2019 third-round pick who played 33 games for the Caps last season as a rookie and spent much of the year with AHL affiliate Hershey.
“The salary cap is the salary cap. We have to plan for Nick coming back at some point, use that space. His salary,” MacLellan said. “What we can do is we can give opportunities to our young guys. McMichael we hope to get to the next step, Lapierre we’ll see where he’s at, Protas is coming in. We expect him to take a nice jump. And kind of look from there. It’s not like we can go out and sign a $9 million player. We’re anticipating Nick comes back at some point. Until that goes away we’re planning on him coming back.”
